Shoppers to vote on drink with proud rebel history

NOT quite iconic but definitely a staple at the Christmas table of every self-respecting Cork family, Tanora, as we knew it, is set for a re-appearance.

The tangerine-flavoured fizzy drink owned by Coca Cola but sold only in the Rebel County, had a recent taste change that proved unpalatable among seasoned drinkers.

The carbonated drink that legions of Rebel youngsters associate with being sick (only because the mammy boiled it to keep the ill and infirm hydrated) recently had its formula altered, for reasons unknown to anyone but the manufacturer.

However, now that fans have rejected the new product, Coca Cola has been forced to re-think its strategy and has launched a “taste test”, the results of which will inform Tanora’s future flavour.

Yesterday, a vote opened on the Tanora Facebook page (facebook.com/TanoraACorkLegend) where Tanora’s loyal followers have been invited to cast their vote for either the original or new formulation.

The Tanora Ultimate Taste Test will also be facilitated in 80 convenience and petro-retail outlets as well as supermarkets in Cork city and county, where ballot boxes will be located across Centra, Costcutter, Gala, Dunnes, Tesco, Londis, Mace, Spar, Topaz, Day Today, Mace Maxol, Statoil and Supervalu stores from July 4.

Voting will close on July 31 and all in-store and online votes will be counted with the results announced via Facebook in August.

If the drinkers of Tanora rubberstamp the original recipe, it will be reintroduced to Cork shelves and shoppers at the end of August, marking another victory for the Rebel County.

The message for Tanora’s multinational manufacturers is that the citizens of Cork have a very refined taste that is resistant to change, especially without consultation (or unless there’s something in it for them). As the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and this is especially true for a drink with a proud rebel history.